A computer program listing appendix containing the source code of a computer program that may be used with the present invention is incorporated herein by reference and appended hereto as one (1) original compact disk, and an identical copy thereof, containing a total of 11 files as follows:
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer program, method, or system for providing nutrition content information for consumables. More particularly, the present invention relates to a computer program, method, or method for dynamically and interactively providing nutrition content information for consumables such that a user may monitor, tailor, plan, and review their intake thereof in light of a health-related interest or concern, such as, for example, weight loss, food allergies, or diabetes or other nutrition-affected illnesses or disabilities.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is often desirable to monitor nutrition content of consumables, including, for example, calories, fat, sugar, protein, or carbohydrates. This is particularly true where such nutrition content may affect a health-related interest or concern, including, for example, weight loss, food allergies, or diabetes or other nutrition-affected illnesses or disabilities. Relatedly, it is further desirable to plan future consumption based upon nutrition content, and to review past consumption summarized for a specifiable time period.
Various print resources exist to facilitate monitoring nutrition content. Books, for example, provide long lists of consumables and related nutrition information. Furthermore, most packaged consumables provide nutrition information on the packaging. Unfortunately, print resources suffer from a number of limitations and disadvantages. Books, for example, are bulky and difficult to conveniently tailor for efficient use by any particular person (short of adding or removing pages), which reduces likelihood of consistent use. Package-based information is, of course, limited to packaged foods. Furthermore, print resources are generally unable to practically present nutrition information in a visually descriptive manner operable to conveniently impart to a user a sense of a particular consumable""s place in an overall monitoring scheme. Additionally, print resources are generally unable to practically provide a convenient mechanism whereby future consumption can be dynamically planned and past consumption can be reviewed.
It is known to use computers and computer programs to facilitate monitoring and planning intake of consumables. Existing programs, however, are typically non-interactive and non-dynamic and therefore inconvenient and awkward to use, which may decrease compliance and effectiveness. Furthermore, existing programs typically do not allow for substantial modification or customization to suit users"" particular consumption habits or preferences, which may make the program inapplicable to or unuseable by some people or cultures.
Due to the above identified problems and shortcomings in the existing art, an improved computer program or method is needed for monitoring nutrition information of consumables and intake thereof.
The present invention provides a computer program, method, and system for dynamically and interactively providing nutrition content information for consumables such that a user may monitor, tailor, plan, and review their intake thereof in light of a health-related interest or concern, such as, for example, weight-loss, food allergies, or diabetes or other nutrition affected illnesses or disabilities. Nutrition content of interest may include, for example, protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, minerals, calories, sugar, etc. Consumables are categorized according to a predetermined scheme of categorization, and the categories are displayed as scrollable and searchable lists. The lists are associated with an appropriate color to draw attention to the categories"" relative nutrition content and to facilitate quicker and easier evaluation of a consumable of interest. Furthermore, menus may be planned in advance wherein projected intake of particular consumables is recorded. Additionally, summaries are provided of actual intake in light of a pre-established target intake for a particular day, week, month, or other user-specifiable time period.
The lists of consumables and associated nutrition content information are stored in a database customizable with regard to adding or deleting consumables and editing the nutrition content information. Thus, the user is able to adapt the program to more personally reflect their eating habits and preferences. For example, a user who does not eat meat may delete all meat items from the database in order to make finding and selecting non-meat consumables more convenient; and a user who uses low-fat or no-sugar ingredients or who reduces calories by baking rather than frying may edit the nutrition content information to reflect the change. Furthermore, users from different cultures may tailor the database to include consumables specific to that culture.
As mentioned, the consumables are categorized according to a predetermined scheme of categorization based upon the user""s health-concern or interest. For example, where the user desires to monitor calorie and fat content to facilitate weight loss, the consumables may be divided into three groupsxe2x80x94low, medium, and high calorie and fat contentxe2x80x94and the groups associated with an appropriately recognizable display color, such as green for low or safe or desirable, yellow for medium or warning, and red for high or dangerous or generally undesirable with regard to the nutrition content of interest, to facilitate the user""s recognition and understanding of any particular consumable""s effect, relative to other consumables, on the user""s goals.
Though the computer program and method may be implemented on any computing device, including, for example, a desktop or laptop personal computer, in a preferred embodiment the computer program is stored on and executed by a small, portable, battery-power, dedicated hand-held device. Because the small hand-held device is more conveniently and less conspicuously carried than a conventional desktop of laptop computer, the user is more likely to enter more consumption data at the time of consumption or shortly thereafter, thereby greatly increasing proper and consistent use of the present invention.
These and other advantages of the present invention are further described in the section entitled DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT, below.